Daily
news - 15th October 2018

That this House is alarmed that alcohol treatment services have been severely cut while the affordability and availability of alcohol, and alcohol dependency, have increased dramatically; notes that liver disease is now the only major cause of death in the UK which is rising... | Parliament.uk, UK

That this House notes that there were 3,756 deaths relating to drug poisoning in England and Wales in 2017; further notes that this is the highest number on record; is alarmed that deaths due to Fentanyl and cocaine continue to rise; and calls on the Government to take urgent action to increase access to the opiate-overdose antidote Naloxone and reverse the detrimental disinvestment in drug treatment services | Parliament.uk, UK

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure Buprenorphine remains affordable in light of the drug's recent increase in price | They work for you, UK

Today, the Government is laying the Misuse of Drugs (Amendments) (Cannabis and Licence Fees) () Regulations 2018 (“the 2018 Regulations”) in the House. These regulations reschedEngland, Wales and Scotlandule cannabis-based products for medicinal use and will come into force on 1 November 2018 | They work for you, UK

This report – by StopWatch, Release, and LSE’s International Drug Policy Unit - documents the disproportionate impact that drug law enforcement continues to have on black and minority ethnic communities in England and Wales | StopWatch, Release, LSE, UK

The latest figures from Public Health England (PHE) show hospital admissions for liver disease continue to rise, with a total of 20,202 admissions for alcoholic liver disease in 2016/17 | Alcohol Policy UK, UK

The organisation formed as a merger of Alcohol Concern and Alcohol Research UK is seeking ​up to six new trustees from a variety of backgrounds to join its board | Alcohol Concern and Alcohol Research UK, UK

Vulnerable people and rough sleepers in Doncaster are set to benefit from a monthly town centre pop-up hub, which provides support and an opportunity to reconnect with health services in a bid, to help them turn their lives around | Aspire, UK

On Thursday BDP hosted this year’s first Pain Management workshop. Held in partnership with the Pain Clinic Services from North Bristol NHS Trust, we sat down with Occupational Therapist, Bev, and BDP’s Mike Swanston to find out more about the course they’re running together | BDP, UK

Former Rangers boss Ally McCoist claims the decision to withdraw Paul Gascoigne's nomination for the Scottish Football Hall of Fame is an "embarrassment" to the game north of the border | Telegraph, UK

Canada is about to become the second nation to fully legalise recreational cannabis. When prohibition comes to an end on 17 October, Canadian adults will be able to purchase and consume the drug from federally licensed producers | BBC, UK

Faced with a proliferation of new electronic cigarettes and a sharp rise in teen vaping, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday sent letters to 21 electronic cigarette manufacturers seeking information to assess whether the products are being marketed illegally | Reuters, UK

America’s crisis of drug-overdose deaths has largely spared California. At 11.2 deaths per 100,000 people in 2016, California’s rate of fatal overdoses is among the lowest in the nation. But there are signs that is changing | Filter Magazine, USA

Even with concerns about addiction, side effects and the other risks of opioids dominating headlines, a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2018 annual meeting found people expect to be prescribed opioids and perceive them to be the most effective form of pain relief after surgery | Medical Xpress, USA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is putting a spotlight on the fast-growing e-cigarette and vaping industry and is considering more regulations of these products, including banning all online sales of e-cigarettes and banning flavored vape products | Digital Commerce, USA

Scientists interested in cannabis as a subject for pharmaceutical studies may find an unlikely new home for their research into the plant, its byproducts and biochemistry aboard the International Space Station | Tech Crunch, USA

If cannabis use increases after legalization of recreational cannabis on October 17, the Government of Canada should commit to changing the act to prevent negative health effects, argues an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.181287 | EurekAlert, Canada

What makes an individual vulnerable to the risks of drinking alcohol? The answer is complicated. Many factors contribute to increased risk of alcohol use disorder harm, including individual, social and environmental factors (Stone et al, 2012) | Menta Elf blog, UK

Only consultants will be able to prescribe cannabis and it will be entirely up to each consultant to make a decision about individual patients. The definition of cannabis-derived medicinal products is sufficently wide that both oils and herbal cannabis manufactured to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards will be available | Clear blog, UK

Just as surely as everyone desperately hopes the opioid death crisis in Canada will not get worse, latest federal indicators suggest that the number of deaths in 2018 will be at least as high, if not higher than the previous record year of 2017 | Globe and Mail opinion, Canada

Nigella Lawson has long been an icon for women, especially for those who have grown up alongside her as she evolved into an internationally renowned cook, author and television personality | Age opinion, Australia

When I tell people I’m a scientist and physician working on population health, they usually react with interest. When I tell them that one of my priorities is investigating the effects of smoking on health, the look of interest often changes to one of concerned sympathy, before they lean towards me and quietly break the news: “But it says it on the packet” | MJA Australia

The problem with the debate over recreational marijuana use in New Zealand is encapsulated in that single sentence. It's hard to take it seriously; but at the same time we've always taken marijuana use way too seriously. We chuckle at weed, and its wacky users, while we send people to prison and ruin lives over it. It is simultaneously a running joke, and an urban-legend horror story | Stuff.co.nz, New Zealand

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